How to beat winter dryness

Monday, 11 June 2018

‘Netflix and chill’ on the couch. Hot chocolate by the fire. The opportunity to wear fabulous coats and boots. There’s lots to love about winter. Unfortunately, it’s not so great for your skin. This is because as the temperature drops, so does the humidity level and, in a bid to even things out, the drier atmosphere sucks out the moisture from everything around it – including your complexion.

Luckily, with a little know how and a few clever product choices, there’s nothing stopping you from enjoying hydrated, comfortable skin throughout the chilly season.

SHOP SMART

If you’re happy with your current facial moisturiser you don’t always have to switch to a thicker, creamier formulation to beat the drying effects of the cold. It’s a complete myth that ‘heavy’ equals more hydrating. Instead, rather choose ‘smart’ formulations that contain humectants – ingredients that bond to water molecules to help hydrate and plump your skin from the inside out. A great example of a gold standard humectant is hyaluronic acid, a substance that occurs naturally in your skin and can bind to up to 1000 times its weight in water.

A brilliant moisturiser will also contain ingredients that are occlusive, meaning that they form a film on your skin to trap moisture. Good examples would be oils like jojoba and olive or Shea butter.

If you’ve got a darker skin tone, you’ll know that skin that’s become dry often ends up with an ‘ashy’ appearance. To avoid the look, use a good exfoliator to remove any dead skin cells that can contribute towards the ‘dullness’. This will also make it easier for your skin to absorb more moisture.

NEXT-LEVEL HYDRATION

If you’d like a serious moisture boost, consider stepping into any Skin Renewal branch for a hydrating PDT (photodynamic therapy) facial. It uses a combination of pure visible blue and red light as well as invisible yellow light to stimulate your skin to repair itself as well as produce more fibroblasts, the cells responsible for creating collagen.

Before the treatment begins, a layer of an ultra-hydrating serum is gently massaged into your skin and, thanks to the specialised lights, it will penetrate much better than it would when used alone.

ABOUT THAT BOD

When it comes to taking care of your body, the same rules for facial skincare apply. Heavy doesn’t equal ‘better’. Simply look for clever formulations. You can also switch to a lightweight body oil or add a few drops of it to your favourite body lotion or body butter.

Just a word about tub time. A long, hot shower or bath feel great when it’s cold, but they can strip the moisture from your skin. This is why it’s best to keep it quick and trade in any soap-heavy products (their primary ingredient is often sodium lauryl sulphate which can dry out your skin) for nourishing cream or oil-based products.

Like we said, with the right skincare, there’s no need to worry about winter dryness. Now go make that cup of hot chocolate!

If you have any burning beauty questions, don’t forget to visit the Ask Our Experts tab, where a real-life doctor will give you a personalised answer.

my facial moisturiser for the winter season is hydrating, but it gets sticky so when its windy outside, dust sticks to my face. is there a non sticky facial cream/moisturiser that you recommend?
i’ve noticed how extremely hot shower makes my skin even drier in the winter, so i shower with warm water since i have dry skin.

Hey Oteng! Nice one on the cooler showers – heat in all forms is damaging to skin and hair, and the cooler the better (even though winters call for extra heat!). Winter moisturisers are normally thicker than their summer counterparts, and often take longer to sink in. Try this out for a while and see if this fixes the problem without getting rid of hydration: use a lighter moisturiser during the day, and use your winter product at night when it can do its best work. If you find your day moisturiser isn’t thick enough, apply one layer, wait five minutes, then apply another layer. It’s likely that this will still keep your skin happy and healthy, without the icky side-effects. Let me know how it goes! – Alez

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